Local Gods
by Iris C
Summary: In which Duo is your modern day rock n’ roll skateboarder hippie, meets Wufei and Heero, metrosexual extraordinaires and sons of millionaires driving sexy cars. Shameless frivolity and flirtation inside… 1x2, 5x2, 1x5, 1x2x5?


Summary: In which Duo is your modern day rock n' roll skateboarder hippie, meets Wufei and Heero, metrosexual extraordinaire/sons of millionaires driving sexy cars. Shameless frivolity and flirtation inside… 1x2, 2x5, 1x5, 1x2x5?!? AU and probably OC.

Notes: uh… I really think I learned the words Prussian blue, obsidian, and amethyst from Gundam Wing… This fic is for pure indulgence and nostalgia. It is written without thought. It is not craft. I threw and might throw in random crossover characters from other fandoms that I used to be obsessed with during happy teendom… If you recognize the names, then you recognize the names and feel free to attach a face and personality to them. Otherwise, just consider them names. Also... apparently now hates my Chinese-based Microsoft Word... and formatting is hell... that, ladies and gentlemen, makes the world almost not worth the effort. gahh.

**LOCAL GODS**

Chapter One

Duo was a rock n' roll kind of guy. He still spun Hendrix and Clapton and got high on Floyd. His friends all say he's wayyy stuck in the past, but Duo still believed in another Woodstock. In fact, it was his dream to put together a music festival. It wasn't even about the drugs, the nude women, or the raging hormones that turn into real fire. It was all about the music and the sweetest guitar hooks dripping down like honey to your soul…

"Bring-ring-yarrrrr," Duo was plucking his fingers into the air, accompanying Clapton blasting in his headphones. His lime green minidisk player stuck out half way in his back pocket, bouncing against a thick chestnut braid. A pair of flip-flips stuck out in his other back pocket. He was barefoot on a skateboard, gliding down an unfamiliar road in sweet California.

It was his first day of school since having moved from the Midwest. Now in all honesty, Duo did his boohoo so sad leaving his friends routine back in good ole' Ohio, but he was by nature a roamer and a free-spirit, so when it was announced that California would be his new home, Duo feet actually itched--itched for the beach and the sand and the warmth and the coast that may just be a bit more realistic to help realize his festival dream. So Duo said goodbye to his friends and imagined the sweet sunshine of California blended with boom box music in all those soft drink commercials featuring beautiful, tanned people.

He wasn't so bad looking himself, if he could spare a few ego points. People were usually put off by the sheer eccentricity of his looks – the heartbreaking amethyst eyes, the rosebud lips, the heart-shaped face, not to mention his token foot-long-braid always bouncing off his ass. Oh yes, Duo was well aware of his appearance and what it did to people, but there was a sincerity and sweetness in his flamboyance. The type that made all the girls he left in Ohio baby him with kisses and cookies and oh Duo don't forget to write and call. It was a type of flamboyance, in fact, that made the girls want him and the boys ogle, look away, and then, ogle again.

Duo didn't care too much for the superficialities of things though. He was what he was and what he was was he liked skateboards and rock n' roll and his dream was to organize a friggin' music festival DAMMIT.

With that in mind, Duo pushed off the warm cement in determination and strode toward an intersection near his new would be school of beautiful, plastic, Californian kids. The light was still on yellow, and Duo was still plucking on his invisible guitar when a loud honk woke him up from his high. He swerved violently, and the next thing he knew he was sprawled out on the ground, headphones and hair gone awry, head thumping to the loudest hip-hop bass he's ever heard.

"Fuck, turn the music down, Heero!"

Duo heard a car door slam and found himself staring into granite stone eyes.

"Hey, you all right?" the owner of the eyes, as Duo blinked to focus, was now extending an arm toward him.

"Uhhh…" Duo, for one reason or another, stared numbly like a deer caught in headlights at the boy leaning over him.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Duo considered the pseudo peace sign plus a thumb, and was suddenly insulted. "Three!"

"Oh good, you're not hurt too bad," the boy threw back his head and yelled. "Heero! He's okay! Help me get him in the car!"

In what was a state of sheer confusion, Duo found himself pulled and tugged by two pairs of arms, a heaved "fine, you take him then," before finally being lifted behind by strong arms and dumped into the leather interior of the open black convertible.

"Hey drive to the curb and let's see if he's okay," the dark eyed boy commanded, and that was when Duo twisted around to the mop of unruly brown hair in the driver's seat, a set of cobalt blue eyes glaring at him from the rear view mirror. Duo gulped. "Wait! My skateboard!" He cried.

"Don't worry, I got it," the Asian boy strode toward him with a smile. "Now, you sure you're all right? Do you want us to drive you to the hospital?"

The boy in the front now turned toward him, face still grim and eyes still fixed in a glare.

"No… uh… I'm okay… thanks," Duo mumbled.

"Hn," the boy, 'Heero' by now Duo presumed turned back forward.

"I'm Wufei," the Asian boy extended his hand out from the front seat, Duo shook it firmly this time and studied the boy curiously for the first time. 'Wufei' was… really really good-looking. He had to admit, back in the Midwest all the Asian guys he knew were presidents of math clubs and respective GPA mongers. They were wicked kids with a great sense of humor once you get to know them, but physically, they seemed cursed with the glasses and an overgrown buzz cut hairstyle. This 'Wufei' seemed to break the stereotype on purpose. His shoulder length black hair was tied back, revealing a pair of stunning black eyes and a sharp jaw. He was slight in built, 5'7 maybe, but was very fit and healthy-looking with perfect olive skin. He wore what Duo can only describe as "chosen carefully" and probably expensive—a green button-down with funky patches.

"And this asshole who almost killed you," continued Wufei with a smirk, "is Heero with two ees. If you don't want sound like you're idolizing him, you can call him Yuy. That's his last name."

Duo caught another "hn" from 'Heero,' who didn't bother turning around and only gave him a quick glance through the rearview mirror again. Heero was slightly taller and bigger than Wufei, and a hell a lot scarier with messy brown hair, steel-blue eyes and a hard jaw. Yep, definitely scary in that rape me now sort of way.

California really is full of beautiful people, he thought.

Duo straightened himself up, white knuckles clutching to his skateboard like he was clutching for sanity. "I'm Duo, Duo Maxwell. I'm uh… new in town, from Ohio, originally, and I'm… glad to meet you all…" and I'm… also a talking idiot.

"Ohio huh? Didn't know they made them so nice there…" Wufei smiled smoothly, and Duo blinked twice before realizing he was looking appreciatively at him. Was he imagining that Wufei was looking at him like that or did those eyes really did sweep up and down once over at him? He tensed up then managed to groan, Christ God Almighty, when did he become such a schoolgirl…!

"You okay, Duo?" Wufei looked amused.

"What? Yeah. I'm great," Duo managed a trademark grin that regained half of his confidence.

Wufei kept a faint smile as he turned over and motioned Heero to drive. He turned on the stereo back on to the loud hip-pop music which, as Duo just noticed, wasn't English. "I hope you don't mind foreign music! Heero listens to Japanese music because it reminds him of his motherland!" Wufei shouted against the wind as Heero sped back on the road.

Duo glanced over at Heero who was concentrating on driving and found it hard to believe that the guy had musical preferences. He seemed the type who would prefer absolute silence and a lot of white space.

"Then again, maybe what you listen to will be considered foreign at our school," Wufei shouted.

Duo half wondered how Wufei would know about his taste in music, but the word school jolted him to shout. "Hey guys! Speaking of which, I need to get to a Sunnybrook High!"

"I guessed as much, we're in the same school," and just as Wufei finished his sentence, they pulled into a parking lot. "This is it. Dear ole' Sunnybrooken' high…"

Heero cut the engine and raised the hood to the black convertible, throwing the keys to Wufei afterwards. "I hate driving and Heero's an impeccable driver, well, until he met you," Wufei answered to Duo's inquisitive look.

"Oh right, sorry," Duo mumbled sheepishly.

Wufei laughed as they strolled toward the school. "Hey chill out, I get a feeling we're making you nervous. Don't mind Heero, he's a big softie under all this 'hn' shit, and we're not as slick as we seem. What's your first class?"

Duo was rummaging his pocket for an already crumpled schedule when two girls walked toward them. They were, of course, drop-dead gorgeous, not to mention, very complementary in color. One was raven haired with deep violet eyes that made Duo blink his own several times. The other was, in contrast, pale and golden haired with cerulean blue eyes so blue he wondered if they were real.

"Chang," the girl with raven hair drawled a bit lazily.

"Hino," Wufei kissed the girl on the cheek. Duo surmised that the girls would be the girlfriends of Wufei and Heero, but the blonde girl next to 'Hino' performed no such friendly greeting with Heero.

"And who's this?" 'Hino' asked, giving Duo a once over. Duo was beginning to think Heero's stony gaze was better than being scrutinized by the likes other gorgeous and strange people.

"Rei, Mina, meet Duo, he's new, and Heero almost ran him over," Wufei chuckled.

The girls exchanged a look and both nodded at Duo. "I like your shirt," the blonde girl giggled. "It's a lot of fun."

"Thanks…" Duo looked down at his tie-dyed shirt, a little self-conscious all of a sudden.

"Be nice, Mina," Wufei warned.

"Oh I'm perfectly serious and you know it Wufei. The fact that he can pull it off means something…" with that Mina crossed between them and pressed close to Wufei, whispering to his ear. Wufei grabbed her waist and smirked when she finished.

"Easy easy Venus," Wufei drawled. "You're over your pretty little head."

"Over his pretty little head."

"Oh god I can't watch this," Rei put up a hand on her forehead dramatically. "The poor thing probably thinks we're all crazy. Mina, you gotta lemme look at your notes before class."

"Minako's notes?" and Heero spoke up for what seems like ages.

Minako grimaced and Rei laughed. "I skipped out on the Chemistry review session the other day and Mina swore she would at least try taking notes."

"Minako taking Chemistry notes? She didn't skip with you?" Heero added inquisitively.

"All right, just because you're all freaking geniuses doesn't give you the right to make fun of me!" Mina whined.

"Nobody's making fun of you love, especially Heero. You know how he neeeeds you… like we all do," with that, Rei slipped her fingers into Mina's. "Now come on, let's go. We'll catch up with you all later…! Let's do lunch."

The girls walked away giggling, streaming a "AND IT WAS NICE TO MEET YOU DUO MAXWELL!!" to which all the people loitering outside of school gave curious looks to Duo.

"Crazy people…" Wufei muttered.

In fact, Duo didn't know who was crazy, them or him, or was he in some type of twilight zone full of beautiful people flirting with each other and making him confused on purpose, or maybe, maybe they were really just a lot friendlier in California, maybe maybe…

The bell rang before Duo could comb through his thought.

"Shit, let's go," Wufei said. "We'll catch you at lunch Duo?"

"What? I mean, yeah, sure," Duo added.

"Cool, see you later."

---thisisascenebreakfanfictiondotnetjesuschrist----

To make what was an eventful and already strange enough morning, Duo's first class turned out to be chemistry. When he stumbled in after the bell and got waved to sit down by the teacher, he nearly jumped at a pair of hands waving at him. It was Rei and Mina, smiling widely at him.

"Hino, Aino! We're in the middle of a test! Make new friends after class!" hollered the teacher and followed by a pair of pouts.

Chemistry was followed by other mindless classes where he got acquainted with new teachers and made small talk with new faces. To his disappointment (which he didn't know what to make of), he didn't have any classes with Wufei or Heero. At lunch he sifted through a sea of faces, couldn't find any familiar ones, and was just about to sit down alone when a hand landed on his shoulder. "There you are."

"Mina…ko," Duo turned to see the blonde with a bottle of orange juice in her hand and a cookie hanging out of her mouth.

"Calmemina," she mumbled through the cookie, then tilt her head up and put the entire cookie in her mouth in one swift motion. "I mean, Mina, only Heero calls me Minako cuz he's a poser. Let's go," she took him by the hand.

"Whoa whoa, where we going?" Duo asked as he tried to balance a tray in head while being led by Minako.

"To our spot of course," she gave him a wink as they walked on. "If you have any awkward questions you should probably ask now by the way."

"Wha--?"

"Yeah, I'm saying what you're thinking, don't fret. You're thinking who are these crazy people running me over, dragging you all around, and being too touchy feely with you, and each other."

"I—"

"We're all best friends, Wufei, Heero, Rei and I. We've known each other since from the diaper days to the spin in the bottle days, and yes, we did have spin the bottle days and a lot more if you're wondering but you're probably thinking I'm divulging way too much information you don't need to hear but I've dated Wufei and Heero and I'm dating Rei. Rei's dated Wufei but they are brother and sister now. That is, their relationship didn't work out, everyone says they are too hotheaded and damn alike plus they look a bit alike don't ya think? So they said what the hell, let's be siblings, but like I said Rei and I are together now and Wufei's been pinning after Heero for eons but that Heero, nobody gets him."

Mina took a breath as they enter an empty classroom and opened a door to what seems like a closet with a ladder leading up. "But our top priority in life really isn't just having love affairs… Am I scaring you yet Duo?" She closed the door behind them and leaned to him, a cafeteria tray between them.

"Mina…" Duo breathed nervously as her lips threatened to close on his, but she leaned past his mouth and pressed them by his ears much like she had done to Wufei in the morning.

"So, what are you?"

"What?"

"Gay or bi?"

"WHAT??"

"WHAT???" She leaned back, eyes wide.

"I mean, how do you know I'm not straight?"

She giggled. "Oh my pretty, c'mon," she grabbed onto the ladder and pushed against a lid.

"I'm bi," Duo blurted out.

"Oh good," Mina shot him a sultry smile. "Now come on Romeo."

As Minako pushed the lid, it was all blue skies and a few clouds hanging around. The California sun just peeked out from a cotton cloud and Duo winced at the strength of the light. When he finally reached up and scanned his surrounding, he couldn't help a "No way… you guys eat lunch here? This is… awesome! Can I hang out with you all for life?"

"It's a deal," laughed Minako.

"You found him!" a familiar female voice called out.

"Of course I did, did you ever doubt me?" Mina leaned to kiss Rei gently on the lips. Wufei, Heero, and a pair of strangers all shot Duo with looks, to which Duo returned with a curt nod.

"Actually… for a moment, I thought I lost you to the chocolate chip cookies."

"Evil, Rei, you are made of sheer evil…"

"Guys, will you learn from Quatre and Trowa and tone it down…" Wufei groaned.

"I'm sorry but you are just tipping over the scale of hypocrisy on that subject Chang," Rei winked.

"All right guys let's all cut it out. Poor Duo," Mina offered.

"Seriously. This is Quatre and Trowa, Duo," Wufei introduced as Duo's eyes landed on a delicate looking blonde boy and a boy with an eye covered over by his hair.

"Hi Duo," smiled the blonde, Quatre, kindly as Trowa nodded at him.

Lunch was pleasant. If pleasant was being slightly of an intruder among a group of friends that were obviously close. Duo buried his half-wanderings of why such an established group of friends made such an effort to befriend him, and instead concentrated on chatting mindlessly on whatever topic that floated among the group. Duo found out Minako was actually right, they were genuinely a group of really interesting kids beneath their overwhelming… presence and intimacy. They touched on everything from global warming, immigration laws in California, and well, tootsie rolls, and finally landed on the topic of music.

"So… you're a rock n' roll kind of a guy aren't you Duo?" said Rei in a measuring voice.

"I guess you could say that. I grew up listening to it, it was Helen… I mean, my mom's music… so I mean I've a soft spot for it, but I listen to everything. That stuff you guys had in the morning was interesting…" Duo turned to Wufei and Heero.

"Eh, it's just American hip-hop in Japanese really," dismissed Wufei. "I mean, not that it isn't good, but imitation has its limits. If you are really into music, I know a couple people you should meet this Saturday. They are actually professional concert violinist and pianist, but they know music and the music industry pretty well…"

"Saturday?" Duo blinked.

"Oh that's right. I'm throwing a party this Saturday. Consider it a welcome party for you."

"Isn't being new awesome?" Minako laughed.

--thisisascenebreakfanfictiondotnetjesuschrist--

Admittedly, being new really did have its perks, especially when you literally "get run over" by a group of cool people who become your friends. Duo wasn't sure what to make of his new friends, really. They were something wild.

"Hello gorgeous."

Enter bombshell number one, Minako was all smiles at the door, standing in short shorts and a white cut-off shirt with the silver letters "Witch" spellbinding mankind. Rei was smirking by her side, or rather, had her hand around Minako's waist. She's striking in a casual red dress and white boots that touched her knees.

"Good lordy, it's amazing what cleaning up can do for an already good-looking boy," Minako eyed Duo's casual dress suit. "Did Wufei pick that out for you? You better be careful babe, Wufei is so metrosexual he can metrosex anyone within 10 meters of him…" Minako giggled.

"Sometimes I wish you could hear the way you talk Mina…" Rei groaned.

Minako blinked, then, as if reaching some great revelation, she turned to Rei. "but I _can _hear myself talk Rei…"

Duo laughed as Rei gave him a withered "this is what I have to put up with" look.

"Let the boy in," said Rei. "Wufei is somewhere in there, if you don't find him he'll find you…"

"—Or your braid," cut in Minako.

"Right, make yourself at home. Drinks in the kitchen. Dance floor at the basement. Pool and spa in the backyard…"

"—Bedrooms on the second floor…" cut in Minako.

"Right—What?! MINAKO!!"

"HAVE FUN DUO!"

True to the basements, pools, and uh, bedrooms, Wufei's house was huge, huge in the sense that it reminded him of the celebrity homes he'd seen featured on those tabloid magazines Hilde'd always read. On the thought of Hilde Duo sighed, he wondered how she was doing. Hilde was one of his close if not only friends back in Ohio, which might be a bit of a surprise to most people who didn't know him, and most people really didn't know him.

It was true that he had always been popular. He was good-natured enough to be personable, eccentric enough to be intriguing, and good-looking in that "dude can pull off a braid and still look hot" sort of way enough to always trip in the limelight. Indeed, popularity had always been something that fell into his lap than something he had to mull over like most teenage boys. Duo thought this was funny, because he was the last guy on earth to care about a thing like popularity.

Which was why, it was weird to be stalking around a home that seemed to be designed for some Beverley Hills celebrity packed with strangers who'd cast him with either bored or curious looks. Duo was ready to make a second conclusion about California, it really was like the movies, especially, the high school ones. He wondered abruptly when the climax of the night would come in, and if anyone would end up in the pool. Duo chuckled at the _American Pie_ imageries, then frowned slightly, was he just a bit… jaded in his thoughts? Did he not like it here?

Maybe… it was just overwhelming. Maybe… it was just weird being among all these beautiful and weird people. Duo was almost sure he liked Wufei, Minako, Rei, and well, Heero. There was something about them that he couldn't quite put a finger on. They were flirtatious and gorgeous and reckless and passionate and right down ridiculous, and they were fascinating. Duo just hoped they weren't fascinating in the way that Hollywood gossip was to Hilde. Did he find them interesting because they were so different from what he had known, so different from the Midwest, so… so rich?

Duo stopped as he squeezed his way down the basement, it was bathed in black light with some laser lights shooting around. A DJ was spinning, this time, American hip-hop, and Duo was pretty sure that he was professional. The dance floor was packed with people dancing, grinding, and even breaking. Duo hadn't seen a familiar face since he met Mina and Rei at the front door. He kept looking for Wufei's short ponytail among the crowds, but caught no familiar sight.

Duo hated parties.

Right right, he seemed the party type, rock n' roll right? Well, Duo hated parties, even if he had to admit Wufei really knew how to throw a party. Duo hated parties because being charismatic takes effort, and maybe, maybe he was just a little overwhelmed?

Right.

When he made it to the second floor, he realized Minako didn't lie; the second floor had bedrooms all right. Keen to get away from raging drunken hormones, Duo turned around, only to stop as he noted the stairs leading to a third floor at the end of the hallway. He noted his options then. He could A. go downstairs and continue squeezing through a crowd of strangers and try to end friendly conversations with whoever tries to make conversation with him. B. go downstairs and leave. C. go to the third floor and hope for a quiet hallway? Rei and Minako hadn't mentioned a third floor, so it might be off-limits, but Wufei wouldn't mind, thought Duo, and it really wasn't cool for him to leave the party without at least saying hello to the host.

Duo trudged up the stairs and was relieved that Wufei had such nice guests. Nobody was on third floor, at least, from what it seems. Duo could feel the thumping of Hip-Hop music from the basement at the back of his head, contrasting with the silence of the third floor.

A door was left open to a dimly lit room. Duo walked toward the room, Duo slid down the floor by the room and sighed, then Duo groaned. "Aww… sorry Wufei… curiosity kills the cat but not Duo Maxwell…"

"Hey Fei?" he called to the room after a moment, when no one answered, he crawled up and entered, closing the door behind him then quickly shut his eyes. "Hey I know I'm probably not supposed to be here but I'm just gonna chill for a while and not touch anything okay? You know? CuzI can't leave yet, cuz I haven't found you yet, and because that wouldn't be polite. So I'm sorry whomever's room this is. I hope not your parents' room. Here I come! I'm in the room!" Duo announced.

He opened his eyes. "Christ…" he breathed.

It was a very clean, very white room. Not much other than a bed, some plants, a book shelf, and a table. Duo's eye landed on the dimly lit lantern on the wooden table. A calligraphy set was laid out neatly—two brushes, an ink holder, and sheets of blank paper held down by a heavy stone. There were only two things hanging on the white walls behind the wooden table. One was a calligraphy painting, and the other was a Katana sword. Duo wondered if he had stumbled in Wufei's grandfather's room when a bookcase caught his attention. A bunch of award statues squashed close together glinted off the lantern light as Duo squinted his eyes "Kungfu winner… Chess champion… Go… Chinese Chess… Kungfu… Track… All-State… Science Olympic… Debate... Art… Waterpaint… Wufei Chang… Wufei…."

The boy was really the genius type, thought Duo as he pulled his eyes away from the too many trophies and scanned up and down at Wufei's books. The books were divided in what looked like four languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, and French. Living had to be tiring…

Duo still had his mouth opened in astonishment when the light suddenly went off, and he felt himself being pushed against a wall in utter darkness.

"What the fuck—" shock turned to slight panic as two strong hands pinned his hands up in the surrender position. "Fei? Shit is it you Fei? Look I didn't mean to stoop around I mean I'm not really stooping I just needed somewhere quiet—" the stranger's fingers writhed to entwine his own, then squeezed. "Shit, don't get all Beauty and the Beast on me will you? Who are—"

Then squeezed harder, but not as hard as the mouth Duo felt against his own next. The kiss, if you would call it a kiss, was more like a fight to survive. It was all tongue thrashing, teeth hitting, out of breath and out of air. The stranger's body's pressed harder and harder against his own, until Duo moaned for a part of his body that wasn't his mouth.

He fought back, pushing against the hands entwined in his own, pushed until they fell against the bed, but the strangers' grip was still tight. "Who are…" his question was cut off short when the stranger's mouth was on him yet again. Duo smelled spices and soap and good cologne, expensive cologne, and then didn't think anymore when the fingers slipped out of his own and slipped down to his zippers.

But he needed to think. "All right, you need to…" Duo pulled back suddenly, gasping for air and some sense in his head. "You need to stop, whoever you are."

"Do you really want me to?" the voice breathed back.

Duo froze at the voice. "Hee…Heero?"

And as far as Hollywood high school movies would have it, the lights went on at that precise moment, that was when Duo knew where the climax of the evening would be. Unfortunately, it wasn't finding himself staring into the steel-blues of Heero's eyes. It was being still pressed against, being on top of Heero, in shock, turning around, and staring straight at Wufei.

"Well, well, and I wondered why I couldn't find you."


End file.
